HOW 'BOUT THEM DUCKS!!!!

Thought I’d start this thing off with a little Pac 10 action via the Jayhawk Conference — that’s former Wichita North and Butler County star Zac Clark in the middle of the Oregon locker room, singing the fight song after his Ducks beat Oregon on Halloween in Eugene. I’ve always thought that things like this are the beauty of the Jayhawk — one fall you’re playing in front of a couple grand on some dingy field behind an elementary school in El Dorado and the next …

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME: They are playing basketball now, BTW, including the Hutch men trouncing Barclay behind 18 points, 11 boards and 7 assists from Garrius Holloman on Thursday than waxing Fort Scott on Friday behind 16 from Joe Mitchell. I guess GH’s knee is gonna be okay …

If you haven’t checked out my Newman previews, you can go here and here.

Here’s my look at Saturday’s football games — I’ll do my Jayhawk stuff for Sunday when I’m posting scores, post-haste, manana:

MIAA

Washburn (7-3, 5-3 MIAA) at Emporia State (2-8, 1-7), 1 p.m. — The Ichabods must win here, in their regular-season finale, and then pray that the NCAA Division II Super Region IV rankings turn in their favor after they dropped from No. 8 to No. 9 following last week’s win over Truman. The top six teams in the rankings make the NCAA Division II playoffs. Washburn quarterback Dane Simoneau sits at 2,631 passing yards and has a chance to go over 3,000 for the season against an anemic ESU defense.

Pittsburg State (5-5, 3-5) at Truman (1-9, 0-8), 1 p.m. – This is where I pontificate on what could have been … like if PSU hadn’t redshirted Forrest Stucky and Nate Dreiling this year, they’d be probably ahead of the curve for next year. I’m just saying. What’s the fix for the Gorillas? I ain’t got a clue.

Fort Hays State (5-5, 3-5) at Missouri Southern (3-6, 3-5), 2 p.m. – I feel like this is still a really, really big game for the Tigers despite no hope of a postseason. Here’s why: A winning record. I think FHSU really turned a corner this season, but losing here would really hurt. That being said, who is gonna be the quarterback next year?

KCAC

No. 14 Friends (7-1, 6-1 KCAC) at Kansas Wesleyan (4-4, 3-4), 1:30 p.m. — A win here for the Falcons sets up a Nov. 14 showdown with Ottawa for the KCAC title, and the Coyotes, losers of three straight, have been reeling. Friends senior defensive back and former Butler standout Quinn Cunningham has been quietly putting together a fine season and leads the league with six interceptions.

Bethany (4-4, 3-4) at No. 7 Ottawa (8-0, 7-0), 1:30 p.m. — What to expect here? More berserker play from the Braves, who can win here and clinch at least a tie for the KCAC title, I think. Let me know if I’m off, but I believe if Friends were to beat KWU Saturday, then beat OU on Nov. 14 then it’d be a three-way title. UPDATE I just checked with Gary Karr who tells me I’m write. That scenario plays out it’s Mac, Friends and Ottawa all raising banners. And then there’s this to consider: Do the Braves lock up an NAIA playoff bid with a win this weekend? I think they do.

No. 16 McPherson (7-1, 6-1) at Bethel (2-6, 2-5), 1:30 p.m. -- Bulldogs have an awful lot to play for in their last two games, as mentioned above. Best scenario for them? I know this sounds weird — but it would be not winning a KCAC title. Figure this … if they were to win it would mean it’s a three-way co-championship. That means Friends and Ottawa both have one loss, and I think there’s no way Ottawa drops below Mac in the standings with a loss. That means no playoffs. Weird, right?

Saint Mary (2-6. 2-5) at Sterling (5-3, 4-3), 1:30 p.m. – Another year, another decent season from Sterling, with no playoffs. What gets them over the hump?

Tabor (0-8, 0-7) at Southwestern (2-6, 2-5), 1:30 p.m. – Dude, no way I thought The Jinx were sniffing three wins at this point. Consider this season a success for Southwestern, which breaks ground on a new stadium right after the final buzzer of this one. Party at Joey Falkoff’s!!!

‘The Dead Can’t Dance’ teaser

In Breathtaking Harmyvision | MySpace Video

MARK CARVALHO

Kansas Wesleyan has hired former Friends University coach Mark Carvalho as its new baseball coach. The Coyotes have won the last two KCAC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the NAIA World Series this season … so it’s not a bad gig if you don’t mind a little pressure and winning all the time. Former KWU coach Dave Dawson was hired away by NCAA Division II Arkansas Tech after the season. Click above for the full release from KWU.

Carvalho, you might remember, had big-time success with the Falcons in his nine seasons there, going 231-172 from 1997 to 2006 and won KCAC titles in 2004 and 2006. His tenure there ended on a sour note after coming to loggerheads with the Friends administration over fundraising, but he’s bounced back with a successful assistant stint at Bethany and now he’s off to Salina.

The Ark City native is also a writer — he is possibly the only man in the world who is a member of both the American Baseball Coaches Association, American Writers Association and the Midwest Entertainment Connection and Screenplay Guild. That’s pretty sweet.

I’m out. TA

MATT ROBERTSON

What, pray tell, is Bob Fornelli up to?

The ESU baseball coach added Barton County pitcher Matt Robertson — younger brother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson — to his recruiting class and … what a class. Robertson, who has been drafted twice by the Tigers (42nd round 2007, 49th round 2008), is the sixth Barton player to sign with the Hornets and one of 10 Jayhawk Conference players headed to ESU. Along with three Division I transfers. There is only one high school player in the class — Jordan Welch out of Central Heights.

It’s almost like … Fornelli’s trying to win a national championship or something.

Take a look at the entire class (below), compliments of ESU’s Donald Weast:

Hornet Baseball Signees for 2010 Season

Name Ht Pos. Hometown/Previous School

David Allbritton 6-6 C Shreveport, La./Barton County CC

Spencer Blades 6-2 LHP Liberty, Mo./Barton County CC

Zack Carlson 6-2 INF Topeka, Kan./New Mexico Univ.

Michael Cotter 6-6 RHP Overland Park, Kan./Barton County CC

Matthew Dahms 6-1 C Kansas City, Mo./Barton County CC

J.D. Herman 6-0 INF Omaha, Neb./Butler County CC

Tyler Herrig 6-0 INF Leavenworth, Kan./Florida Atlantic

Jake Hosey 6-1 RHP Topeka, Kan./Allen County CC

Tyler Knight 6-2 OF Lawrence, Kan./Sam Houston State

Jake Martin 6-2 LHP Shawnee, Kan./Mid American Nazarene

Matt Robertson 6-1 RHP Valley Center, Kan./Barton County CC

Kyle Rosine 6-0 RHP Knob Noster, Mo./Hutchinson CC

Drew Smith 6-3 RHP Eaton, Colo./Barton County CC

Jordan Welch 6-1 INF Princeton, Kan./Central Heights HS

Drew Wilkinson 6-2 OF Manhattan, Kan./Hutchinson CC

RYAN ANTHONY

Compliments of ESU’s Josh Slaughter, here’s an update on some Hornets and their minor-league travels, the lot of them in short-season A ball. Ryan Anthony, a big lefty from Overland Park, was the latest to sign, and he’ll be with either one of two Cleveland farm teams — Lake County or Mahoning. Looks like Conner Crumbliss is spending his days in Vancouver.

Former Hornet pitcher Ryan Anthony signed with the Cleveland Indians organization today. The 6-4 left hander from Overland Park, Kan. will report to Ohio where he will begin his career with either the Lake County Captains or the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.

Anthony went 8-3 this season with a 3.38 ERA and 74 strikeouts. He threw a team high two shutouts along with three complete games. He was named second team All-MIAA as a pitcher this season.

He will join three other Hornets in short season single A baseball. He joins Keith Hernandez (Oneonta Tigers), Conner Crumbliss (Vancouver Canadians) and Trent Lare (Staten Island Yankees) in the minor leagues. He is the second ESU left-hander to sign in as many days as Lare signed with the Yankees yesterday.